Remnant
by ChickenGodofDOOM
Summary: How will Naruto fare against the modern world? How will he cope against guns and cars and unfamiliar martial arts? Or more importantly, how will he manage to control the 'gifts' of the entire shinobi world?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is strictly a work of fanfiction using character and elements from both the _Naruto _world, created by Masashi Kishimoto and the _History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi _world, created by Syun Matsuena. I do not claim to own them, and this story is merely a product of my own imagination, written not for monetary gain, but for my own enjoyment.

* * *

Naruto stood defiantly in the underground cavern, his arms crossed in an expression of contempt for the man that he stood across from.

"I don't care who you are, or who you claim to be… all that matters is that you are the root of the matter. But this is as far as it goes… this is the end for you," he declared confidently.

But the man who faced him, the man wearing an orange spiral mask, did not quail under Naruto's righteous fury.

"So, Naruto-kun, you've done quite well for yourself since last we met, eh? Finally achieving your dream… becoming the Sixth Hokage. Not bad, not bad. Y'know, I once wanted to be Hokage too… once upon a time."

The man's voice trailed off, carrying a hint of melancholy that somehow made him seem even more menacing than before.

"So," he continued abruptly, "I must congratulate you on your achievement. Good job. I guess I should be feeling some kind of envy now that the person who succeeded where I failed is standing in front of me… but… it's different now. Because… **I hate Konoha!**"

With that furious battle cry, the man bounded towards Naruto, pitch-black chains trailing from his wrists, flying behind him like a spectral cape.

But Naruto was more than a match for the sudden attack. He didn't attain the Hokage position through his levels of public approval alone, after all.

Sapphire chakra surged around him, wrapping around him in a protective manner.

"Mayonaka no Uzumaki (Midnight Spiral)," he murmured, deathly calm.

The energy continued to swirl around him, making him look more than anything like his signature technique- the Rasengan. The giant ball of energy spun and spun, a deceptively dangerous lightshow that lit up the dark cave spectacularly.

The man in the orange mask stopped short, deterred by the rapid rotation of the chakra.

There was a short inhalation, as if he was about to throw out a taunt or insult, but at that instant, violence erupted, so sudden and explosive that it didn't seem quite real.

The giant ball of light disappeared, and suddenly, Naruto was behind the masked man, his palm stretched out.

"Goodbye," he said, almost sadly.

The moment the skin on Naruto's hand touched the masked man's back, it felt like the entire world had been tipped on its side.

Inside the cave, there was an enormous twisting, spiralling sensation, centred around the two men. The very air seemed to warp inwards and start to thin, even as an unbearably bright light pierced the air, temporarily blinding all who saw it.

Which only numbered two, technically.

But still, 'two' was still a number that was unexpectedly more than Naruto expected, to be honest.

"How are you still alive?" he asked in a tired voice.

But this seemingly invincible masked man was now showing weakness, huddled as he was against the stone wall, clutching a broken mask.

"_Izanagi," _spat the man contemptuously.

Naruto frowned at the unfamiliar word, but stayed wary. Any jutsu that shared its name with a _god_ was obviously nothing to be scoffed at.

"Now you," hissed the masked man, "What was that? That move you just used."

Naruto decided to humour the man's inquiry, if only to try and buy enough time to come up with a plan to finish him off once and for all. Mayanaka no Uzumaki was one of his most powerful techniques, with it seemingly rendered ineffective, he was almost out of cards to play.

"Mayanaki no Uzumaki is a combination of the Rasengan and the Hiraishin that my father created. The Rasengan and all its derivatives are powerful, but they are obvious. Besides the thrown Rasenshuriken, if the opponent can stay out of range, I can't get them," Naruto said slowly, even as his fingers slid towards his sleeve.

"And based off second-hand accounts of my father's Hiraishin, I managed to reverse engineer it… kind of. I'm considered a seal master, but I'm nowhere near close to decoding my father's Hiraishin seal. And as the way it is now, it takes too much energy to use effectively," he continued, "But with my Mayanaki no Uzumaki, it functions as a combination of the two- the overpowered Rasengan provides both the damage and the fuel source for the Hiraishin, which in turn acts as an unavoidable gap closer…"

As Naruto reached the end of his explanation, he heard the man give a mirthless chuckle.

"Just imagine," he wheezed, "Ha! Never thought I'd be in this situation all over again. Facing a blond Hokage who wields both the power of teleportation and the orb of destruction. Ha!"

Naruto's froze.

"You fought my father?" he asked breathlessly.

The man growled angrily and shakily stood up.

"Yes, I did, but that's neither here nor there. Let's finish this, Konoha."

Naruto didn't hesitate.

Moving quickly, he flicked the kunai from the specially made pouch in his sleeve and flung it at the masked man, aiming squarely for his chest.

But even though he had thrown the blade with all his might, it still wasn't enough.

The masked man simply batted it away with a wave of his arm, sending it clattering into the corner of the cave effortlessly.

Naruto stared blankly as his eyes followed the path of the kunai. That weapon had been his last hope- his final gamble. A one of a kind weapon that sported a seal that contained a certain amount of youki- Naruto had pinned all his hopes on that one kunai.

But he refused to give up.

Because he was Naruto Uzumaki.

He let out another dry humourless laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked the masked man, now standing directly opposite him, no signs of weakness visible at all.

"Nothing," replied Naruto shortly.

He made a cross-shaped seal, and a Kage Bunshin exploded into existence next to him. Holding out his hand, Naruto began to gather chakra into it, watching emotionlessly as it started to form a ball shape.

Meanwhile, the masked man looked on with slight interest.

"Hey, hey, what's this? You haven't needed Kage Bunshin to form your Rasengan for years," he remarked drily.

"To defeat someone like you, the root of all this madness," grunted Naruto, "There's no room for fancy tricks. The Rasengan is the technique that represents me most well. Take it with your body, feel my RESOLVE!"

With this last cry, Naruto burst forward, the shining blue ball thrust towards his opponent.

But the masked man was not unprepared.

"Bring it, Konoha!" he yelled, "Let's end this once and for all! Kurai Ori Magatama (Dark Weave Magatama)!"

Exploding into existence with the force of the strike of a lightning bolt, three huge tomoe-shaped disks appeared. The comma shaped rings were a shiny black, somehow standing out starkly even in the dimly lit cave.

The three objects appeared around Naruto in a circle, evenly spaced, closely resembling the distinctive shape of the Sharingan's fully matured form. However, they were moving inwards towards Naruto at a disturbingly fast pace.

But Naruto didn't care. He was already where he needed to be.

With a ferocious cry, he drove his Rasengan into the masked man's shoulder, slamming the destructive orb deep into flesh and muscle.

With a sickening crunching, the man's entire arm was grinded off, falling to the ground like a hunk of meat. Blood blasted from both the enormous wound and the amputated limb, spraying everywhere, creating a gruesomely abstract painting.

_Tch, I missed, _thought Naruto, even as chakra began to swirl into life back over his palm.

But he didn't even have enough time to summon another Rasengan, as the magatama all struck him at once, evidently not deterred by their caster's state of injury.

At that moment, Naruto froze. The chakra that had been gathering in his hand dispersed harmlessly, even as he stood there, locked into place. The circular sections of the magatama had, instead of hitting him like expected, had gone right through him, like a hand through the mist.

And as they passed though flesh, they brought along the most horrible chill, a terrible freezing feeling that stopped even veteran ninja like Naruto dead in his tracks.

"Shit," he ground out.

He tried to remember what he was doing, but the dreadfully miserable feeling in his stomach persisted, so sickening that he couldn't keep his mind off how terrible it was.

He felt like screaming, but he wasn't in mind-bending agony or anything like that. It was just so _cold _that it made him feel… well… miserable. And not just miserable like 'getting wet while on the way home, miserable', but truly, truly wretched, like 'finding out that you are the last one in your graduation class that is still alive, miserable'. It wasn't a feeling easily described by words.

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a weak sounding moan.

"Heh," came a sound to Naruto's left.

He soullessly glanced towards it, but the freezing feeling in the pit of his stomach still stole most of his concentration. A man with the smashed orange mask crowed triumphantly while clutching the bleeding stump of his arm, finally achieving the victory he had waited so long for.

"I win! Finally! I win! I have the Kyuubi! It's finally done! The Moon's Eye Plan… so many years, so many lives, so many sacrifices! I win, Konoha…"

But even as these historic words were spoken, Naruto simply didn't care.

* * *

When Naruto next came to, the first thing he noticed was that he was still underground. His eyes immediately flickered wildly as he tried to regain some sense of the events that had taken place while he was unconscious.

All he remembered after striking the masked man with his Rasengan was a terrible, all-consuming cold… and then darkness.

"Oh," came a dreaded but familiar voice, "You've woken up."

Naruto glared at the man, who, despite now missing an arm and having his mask smashed in, was still seemingly as unbreakable as the day he first appeared.

The blond tried desperately to summon up some chakra, but suddenly the masked man kicked him in the stomach, sending him into the stone wall.

"Don't try _anything_," he snarled viciously, "Just wait for the extraction."

_Extraction, _thought Naruto blearily, _what?_

It was only then that he saw the translucent, diaphanous chain wrapped around his torso. Immediately recognising some of the dangerously intricate fuuinjutsu arrays inscribed upon the chains, he tried to struggle, despite knowing how futile it was.

"Too late for that, Hokage. Now, the final bijuu is mine! It was a good fight, but I win," declared the masked man, before he exited the room with an air of finality.

"_Begin," _was the last that Naruto heard.

* * *

Naruto couldn't remember how long the extraction lasted. It could have been several days, or it could have been a couple of minutes. His sense of time had been diminished, bordered and contained only within the unending reality of pain. He couldn't seem to remember anything other than the searing pain that permeated his body. No other sensations, no other memories- all that existed for the being known as Naruto Uzumaki, everything that defined _who he was, _was just the burning agony that he felt.

He didn't know if he was screaming- his senses had long ago burnt themselves out, no longer capable of receiving any other feeling other than 'pain'. He didn't know if something as mundane as _screaming _could accurately portray the sheer magnitude of the suffering that he endured.

There wasn't anything Naruto could think of that could describe the type of pain he was feeling- nothing in his life could compare to the way his body was feeling. It was beginning to get to the point where he couldn't even tell if the sensations that constantly blasted his body was even pain.

But eventually, after what seemed like eternity, the pain ended, and Naruto Uzumaki, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha, died.

* * *

However, even if Naruto was now technically dead, the last vestiges of his essence still remained. Because of his status as a junchuuriki, Naruto was now a spirit, existing as a small island of humanity in the incomprehensible ocean of chakra that was a bijuu. It would take almost no time at all for his small centre of energy to be eroded away by the sheer mass of youki, diffusing into mere particles, never to be reassembled again.

But even before that could happen, something momentous happened in the outside world- something that Naruto- not yet departed for the afterlife- happened to witness.

The thing was, as the Kyuubi (and, consequently, Naruto) was added to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, all the constituent parts of the Juubi, the primordial entity, were gathered together in one place for the first time since its sealing.

What's more, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was actually the Juubi's original body, cast aside after its sealing by the Sage of Six Paths. But now, finally reunited with the primal energies that once filled it and terrorised the world, the Demonic Statue creaked into life.

With slow, lumbering movements, the statue broke the ceremonial chains that bound its limbs- antique symbolic oddities left there by the Sage of Six Paths himself- and stood up, its head easily breaking through the mountain it was hidden under, and finally revealing itself to the moonlit surface world.

It looked up at the luminous moon, ten flailing tails behind it, and howled- an earth shaking roar that was heard and felt by every single being that lived.

* * *

Not a lot of people know much about the Juubi. Usually, only a vague idea about its connection to the rest of the bijuu and the Sage of Six Paths is the limit of most people's knowledge about the mythical beast.

However, in truth, the Juubi is much more closely tied to the very core of the shinobi world.

Because the Ten-Tails was the very entity that created the world.

Although 'gods' in the sense of the word do in fact exist and are worshipped in select temples and monasteries across the land, they were not, contrary to popular opinion, the creators of this world.

The Juubi's relation to the 'gods' is shrouded in mystery, but they are, in fact, extremely similar in terms of power. Or as far as humans can tell. Such beings are so far out of our league that the sheer scale of the powers unleashed cannot be comprehended.

However, the Juubi, even after performing such a great feat, did not think much of it, and did not deign to visit the place until several millennia after its birth. To a beast such as the Juubi, time meant nothing. But one day, while drifting through the gaps in dimensions, the Juubi saw a curious little planet teeming with life and greenery. Finding a sense of familiarity with the place, the Juubi's eidetic memory instantly recalled its little experiment aeons ago… and so the Juubi came to wander on its creation's green lands.

However, despite its great power, the Juubi, upon exploring the realm that it had built, did not realise that it had not taken its own might into account when constructing the world. Although the place was constructed from and filled with the Juubi's almighty energy, it could not withstand such a destructive force upon its lands.

Where the Juubi stood, the very fabric of the world warped into destruction.

* * *

There was once a continent east of Water Country. It contained thriving civilizations and innovative peoples. However, ancient murals have shown that the Juubi once visited its sunlit shores.

The continent is now long forgotten.

Instead, in present times, the place is called the Unspeakable Void, a name passed down in history. People can only speculate about the meaning of the name, because none have ever journeyed there… and survived.

But the Juubi did not leave, even after witnessing the destruction in caused. If it could not even withstand its creator's very _presence, _it was not strong enough to survive, it reasoned.

And so it travelled the land, its journey erasing every trace of existing phenomena.

But finally, the peoples of one of the final remaining continents decided to take a stand, led by the man who came to be known to all as the Sage of Six Paths. Utilizing the strands of the Juubi's energy within everyone, finding those rare flickers of the same power that created him, the Sage manipulated it, taking it into himself and using it against his Creator.

And, against all odds, he succeeded in stopping the Juubi's destructive rampage. Of course, the Juubi's power was so great that if it wished, then the Sage, and his people, and the very world itself, would instantly return to the nothingness that it once was.

But upon seeing the Sage's determination and power, it experienced the emotion known as _pride, _and ruled that if the people it had created was powerful enough to subdue it, then they were welcome to do as they wished and continue to struggle through life.

However, that was history and in the Juubi's second appearance on the earth, there wasn't anybody _nearly _strong enough to stop its destructive rampage.

Nobody.

* * *

The Juubi roared as it emerged from the ground. Finally, it was whole again.

_I remember this place, _it thought, _the world which I created. _

It had generously spared the place during the last time it had walked the lands, but now, the Juubi decided that it was time to test humanity's resolve once more.

Opening its large, inhumanly long arms wide, it released the restraints it had been holding on its power.

And in that moment, the world stopped…

And disappeared.

* * *

The end of the shinobi world happened in the slightest fraction of a second. The moment the Juubi stopped purposely diminishing its power, _that _was the moment where the entire world was doomed.

After centuries, the chakra of the Juubi that had lingered from the initial moment of creation had slowly faded from the earth and air. The Earth no longer possessed the resilience to put up the slightest bit of resistance against the Juubi's almighty presence.

The last remaining member of Akatsuki, the man with the persistent dream of projecting a Sharingan on the moon, never had the time to regret completing his plan before he was instantly obliterated.

But even if all the life on the planet was disintegrated in an instant, for Naruto, trapped as a shade inside the Juubi, it couldn't be any slower.

As the planet was rent in two and absorbed into the Juubi, every single thing in it flowed past Naruto's viewpoint, shocking him with the diversity it showed him.

Every single person, every single lifetime, every single treasured possession, every single special place… it all flowed past his eyes in multicoloured strands as they were all, in turn, ruthlessly destroyed and absorbed.

Naruto was forced to exist there, trapped by the Juubi's chakra, as the threads of his life, of his world, slipped past his intangible fingers into oblivion.

But as he caught glimpses of the lives of his fellow humans, unnaturally cut short, something changed inside of him. He was suddenly filled with an emotion alien to him- that he hadn't felt before in his life.

It wasn't quite sorrow, and it wasn't quite rage.

In fact, there was no word that actually described how Naruto felt at that moment. Perhaps the emotion it was closest to was _regret. _But laced inside that were faint veins of determination, somehow present despite the hopeless situation.

However, what was unusual about this instance was that the way the foreign feeling flared up inside Naruto, as vivid and fierce as a storm. The emotions that it provoked in him were so intense, so overpowering, that it became the defining moment of his life.

In that moment, he was nothing except a container for those feelings, nothing more than a medium for those potent energies to express themselves. And the longer that those feelings remained in him, the more they evolved. Branching along to both sides of the emotional spectrum, the feelings inside Naruto came to encompass both negative emotions (lust, rage, antipathy) and positive emotions (empathy, love, charity) alike.

He was no longer 'Naruto', but instead Humanity, an outlet for the final remnants of those strange things called emotions.

* * *

The Juubi did not feel much when it destroyed the earth it had created, so many aeons ago. Things as petty as the emotions that plagued its creations did not really apply to a being as great as the Juubi. If anything, however, it felt a slight sense of disappointment in the earth. It had truly been thrilled and fascinated by the Sage of Six Path's determination and power, interested in how such a puny, insignificant insect would dare to defy a being so far out of its league, and yet, still manage to triumph.

But now, no such thing happened. Instead, the earth had grown weaker, and had lost that vital spark, that raging flame of will that had burned within the Sage. And so, the Juubi had deemed the earth no longer fit to exist- sentencing it, and all its inhabitants, into oblivion. They were worth nothing to it.

…until it felt, just moments after the deed had been done, a whisper of the same energy and drive that had filled the Sage of Six Paths, reborn again.

Even as the awful finality of the moment was about to sink in, the Juubi turned towards to the source of the feeling, seeking the answer to the mystery.

It found a miniscule imprint of a human that had died just moments before the great beast's awakening. But unlike the rest of the souls it had absorbed, the Juubi sensed that this new one was different.

Curious, it delved right into the centre of the strange energy that permeated the spirit.

And was subsequently subjected to the full force of every single emotional experience that every human had ever felt. For a being that had largely been void of such things itself, such a deluge of information was almost overpowering.

Added to the fact that the Juubi had diminished itself to a human's level in order to investigate the source of the disturbance meant that it was woefully unprepared for the giant rush of feeling.

And when it was over, the Juubi was a changed being.

Since the Sage of Six Path's demonstration of power, the Juubi had wondered what had driven such a tiny, insignificant human to do what he did.

It had been interesting, but was only a minor issue for the almighty demon. However, now, the Juubi was forced to experience, firsthand, what exactly drove humans to do what they did. The force which allowed civilian mothers to lift enormous trees off their child; the force which drove individuals to kill off entire families over a grudge; the force which allowed lovers to cross the globe for each other; the force which allowed people to stand up for what they believed in, even when faced with the threat of death… it endured it all.

The Juubi had never really experienced anything as an equal. It was the only demon of its kind- the only demon with enough power to create worlds. Sure, there were other gods, with similar power, but they were altogether different beings.

It was a very 'lonely' existence… or it would have been, if the Juubi understood loneliness. However, it had never known anything else, so it had been 'content' with just existing baselessly.

The white canvas of the Juubi's soul was wholly unprepared for the tsunami of human emotions. Love, hatred, fear, sorrow, regret, worry, lust, rage, affection, awe, boredom, desire, despair, pleasure, shame, satisfaction, passion, interest, loneliness, pride. All of these, and countless others, burst through the Juubi. They repeated endlessly, mirrored in the essence of the billions of people that each lived their own unique lives.

And the Juubi, much like Naruto had before him, experienced all of that to the max.

An indescribable feeling burst through the entirety of the Juubi, and a phenomenon not unlike an epiphany came upon it.

Making a decision on a whim, the Juubi decided for once to use its godlike powers in their full capacity. Manipulating the fabric of reality, it twisted its cosmic energies around itself, before collapsing them into a single focal point- around that same spirit which had brought along that change in it.

And then, the Juubi which had existed in that 'space' and 'time' simply disappeared, taking with it every last trace of the shinobi world.

However, even if- technically- no trace of those men and women and places and artefacts remained, it was by no means the last they would be seen.

A single remnant of the once great civilisations remained. A single remnant saved from the purge that swept aside everything he held dear. But he survived, as befitting a remnant. And even if he didn't know it himself, that 'remnant' was destined for great things.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a world completely removed from the one we are used to, there existed a large city. And in one of the seedier sections of this city, an abandoned warehouse stood creaking under the night sky. In this area of the city, the busy glow of the nightlife did not permeate the heavy silence that blanketed the place. In here, a light represented a person to mug. Needless to say, the streets were usually vacated long before the night's arrival.

The old warehouse had stood there for years, and most had already forgotten its original purpose. The faded sign was no longer even close to legible, and the unrecognizable mess that was inside held no clues. The decrepit hulk of wood and metal had, for a short time, been home to a number of illegal drug-related businesses and the prime location for the occasional rape or mugging, but had long since run out of favour, due to it being too intolerable even for those undeniably shady individuals.

But this one night, this old rundown warehouse would become the location for one of the most exciting events to happen in a long time.

Usually, the night sky above this city was obscured mostly from view by the thick smog and pollution emitted from the industrious factories that dotted the city. But the barely visible stars, for some reason, did not simply twinkle uselessly as they usually did on this particular night.

Instead, they actually dimmed, making the darkness that carpeted the sector to become even more prominent.

Until, with an eerie whine that somehow became audible without any visible source, a single bright light erupted in the moonless sky. The sound soon grew from 'barely audible' to a very pronounced screech that sent shivers down every spine in the vicinity.

And as the sound grew in pitch and volume, the light in the sky grew correspondingly in size and intensity. If one was to describe it, it was less like a star and more like the headlights on a fast approaching car.

Suddenly, as the sound finally crested the peak and became a full-fledged roar of noise, the light disappeared.

Or, to be precise, it was no longer in the sky to be seen.

Instead, the object that had been the source of the light (and most likely, the noise) had dropped from the night sky and straight through the roof of the abandoned warehouse that had stood there undisturbed for more than twenty years.

It struck with such force that the weathered wooden rafters didn't even have enough time to groan in protest before they were ruthlessly snapped in half by the falling object. It slammed into the ground with a sound like someone punching a sturdy tree, before the night was once again silent.

However, even though these events are all extremely unusual, and would normally warrant much attention, this particular neighbourhood was extremely well versed in the practice of ignoring anything that was potentially interesting in the slightest. If such things were interesting, then they would naturally attract the _interest _of… _unsavoury _characters… and that was something to be avoided, for sure.

So no one came to investigate the light, the sound or the crash.

Which, perhaps, was a fortunate turn of events.

Because, right now, lying on the floor of the warehouse was a strange being.

At first glance, all seemed normal with the person lying down. Sure, the style of dress was outlandish and out of place, and sure, the long curly hair was of a strange hue that one would not find outside of a box of children's crayons, but other than that, the person seemed to be a normal human being.

But in the time that it took to scan up and down that person's figure, an onlooker would have noticed that the person was no longer the same as he/she was a few seconds ago.

The appearance of the person was changing rapidly, and to an alarming degree. It wasn't just small changes like the length of the hair or colour of the eyes, but rather, integral changes to that person's body.

One second, it was a slim, dark haired girl of about twelve years old, before it changed to a huge bear of man, replete with a golden mane, braided with huge golden rings. Then it changed once more to a busty red-head with a killer figure, before changing again to an obese kid with a bad case of acne.

And as well as these dramatic changes, the clothing that the person was wearing was also constantly changing, from muted formal wear fit for a funeral to strange fantastical battle suits that looked like they belonged in a B-movie.

And all throughout this period, the person lay there without moving a muscle. It was becoming clear that he/she could not move under their own power, and it was extremely likely that he/she was unconscious. However, the person's eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling with constantly changing irises.

Finally, after an hour of these flickering changes, the rate at which these changes began to slow. The changes were now much slower, and the body would now adopt appearances for minutes at a time.

And, then, after stopping for almost a whole quarter-hour on a regal looking old man with strange rippled eyes, the body changed for the last time.

It settled on a young boy with golden hair and cerulean eyes. A young boy with strange marks on his cheeks. A young boy with the strangest tattoo on his stomach.

A young boy called Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

Hello again. As always, thanks to MisterKuma for beta-reading this first chapter. Anyways, this is where I've spent my summer... hope you enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto sat up and looked around.

_Where the fuck am I? _

He was in some sort of metal room with strange debris all around on the ground. But although it didn't look like he had been sleeping very comfortably, there were no signs to show that he was a prisoner of any sort.

But the real mystery was of how he ended up in the room in the first place.

Last he remembered he was in Konoha. He had been trying to iron out the details for some sort of official festival to celebrate the historic ending of hostilities between the five Great Hidden Villages. It was reaching the tenth anniversary of the Five Kage Summit, and although Naruto had promised the other leaders to organize something some years back… he _still _hadn't gotten around to it.

Organizing a global event like a festival actually took quite a bit of work, as the young Kage soon found out. To coordinate anything, he had to send out messenger pigeons to each of the other kage and then wait for the reply, before trying to put together and work out some kind of compromise or mutual beneficial deal. And although the pigeons were specially bred to fly _extremely _fast, it was still a relatively slow process.

It didn't help matters that the now retired Godaime had taken it upon herself to coop herself in the Hokage Office in order to watch his progress. She had never really been accustomed to the position and the work it entailed, and so took great pleasure in watching her successor struggle in turn.

So it was no surprise that the frustrated Hokage had to turn to stress relief methods. And the Godaime, being the medical expert that she was, offered one whose effectiveness she could personally attest to.

That is, drinking till you can't see straight.

Which was obviously what had happened and now he was simply waking up in a strange place. It happened to a lot of people when they get wasted.

Right?

Right?!

All that business about being captured and Gaara and B's deaths were all a massive nightmare. It _had _to be. _No way _that it could be true. It was all too unbelievable and far-fetched.

With this resolution in mind, Naruto shakily got up off the ground.

He grumbled as he brushed the dirt off his clothes.

_You'd have thought _somebody _would have taken care of the village leader when he's drunk out of his skull. But noooooo… you have to let him wander around to who-knows-where. _

He felt extremely shaky on his feet, which he attributed to being so drunk the night before. He considered using the tree walking exercise to stop himself from any embarrassing falls (if the so-called greatest warrior in the village can't even walk properly, it says a lot about the strength of it, doesn't it?), but his chakra felt sluggish for some reason. Having never drunk so much alcohol in one sitting before, Naruto attributed it to it being a natural side effect.

However, despite how uncomfortable he felt with his body, Naruto's head felt clear as a bell. He didn't have a headache, any nausea, lethargy, thirst or oversensitivity. He simply didn't have a hangover.

_Well, I might as well find out where the hell I am, _thought Naruto grumpily as he moved to the door.

* * *

Upon opening the door, the first thing that Naruto did was recoil in shock. The noise and smell blasted onto his unprepared senses like heat from a blast furnace.

Immediately, he drew back and slammed the door closed. He brought neck of his robes up over his nose and tried to breath slowly to avoid passing out. The smell of oil and dirty metal in the air outside was almost like a physical blow; that was how unused to it he was. Also, the noise was incredible. Screeching, clanging, thousands of chattering voices- it was truly a cacophony he could do without.

But that posed the question of _where _the bloody hell he was. Naruto had travelled all over the shinobi continent- and there was nowhere he had witnessed in his journeys that even barely resembled what he had just seen- least of all existing within walking distance of Konoha.

He lifted a hand to try and wipe away the sweat that had inexplicably appeared on his brow.

But surprisingly, he felt cloth on his forehead where he should have felt the skin of his hand.

"Eh?" he said aloud.

The Hokage robes had been specially tailored to fit him before his coronation. There shouldn't be any excess material. So… why?

With a sudden suspicion whipping up in his heart, Naruto darted over to a slab of metal that was lying against the wall. It was hard to tell what it once was, but all that Naruto cared about was that it was reflective.

Hurriedly, Naruto wiped away the grime and dirt from the surface and stared at his reflection.

He squinted at the distorted mirror image, trying desperately to make out what he looked like. Finally, he managed to make _some _sense of the twisted image on the shiny metal. He rocked back on his heels, mind reeling.

_**So, I take it you've noticed? **_came a deep voice inside his head.

Naruto almost jumped up the wall when the unexpected voice resonated inside his skull. His first instinct was to assume it was the Kyuubi, but upon reflection, it was not the Nine-tailed Fox's distinctive bass timbre. Instead, it sounded strangely more similar to a human's expressive tones. Yet… there was also a dissonant aspect of _power _that rang even more stridently than the Kyuubi's.

But before Naruto could ponder this much longer, he was abruptly pulled from consciousness and into the dark recesses of his mind.

* * *

Naruto hissed in annoyance as he picked himself off of the ground, stagnant water dripping off his soiled Hokage robes.

He looked around in distaste at the sewer-like location that he was currently in.

_My mind is a dump, _he thought sourly.

Deciding to get the most difficult part of the situation over with as soon as possible, Naruto started to make his way over to the Kyuubi's cage, wading through the calf-high liquid with little difficulty.

However, upon coming across the huge metal gates, Naruto raised an eyebrow when he noticed that they were standing open, as if they had been struck with some huge force from the inside.

Naruto made an annoyed expression and gingerly stepped over the threshold. Although he had managed to get some control over the seal, and, subsequently, the Kyuubi, it still made him nervous when he had to cross over to the bijuu's own domain. He tentatively raised his fist to knock on the gates, but then thought better of it.

Empowering them with chakra, Naruto confidently slammed his clenched fingers onto the beaten iron of the seal.

"Oi! You in there, you fuzzy bastard?" he yelled as loud as he could.

But instead of the response he expected, or even silence, Naruto instead received an answer from the same voice he had heard before.

"**He's not in here, Uzumaki-san. But I am. Come and talk to me. We have much to discuss. Come deeper."**

Naruto didn't really feel safe with going deeper into the seal, but he decided that he didn't really have much to lose, and he _really _needed answers.

"Okay, Weird Voice. I'm coming. But it's kinda dark. Where exactly do I go? I don't want to bump into a wall and crack my head open," he called out.

Out of the darkness came a chuckle. Somehow, that strange, inhuman voice did not really seem suited to sounds of humour.

"**Just keep on walking. I assure you, there are no walls or hazards. Soon, you will come upon me."**

Naruto sighed and did as the voice told.

_I hope it's not much further. Walking through water is a pain in the ass. _

* * *

Finally, after a couple long minutes of walking through the darkness, Naruto made it to a place that was very different from what he had come to expect from his mind.

It was an extreme contrast from the dank, dark sewer that he was used to. It was a bright serene place that radiated serenity and tranquility.

However, there was no transition between the two- Naruto had just been walking, and then he instantly found himself in the new location.

One moment he was walking through the smelly sewer water in a nearly lightless tunnel, and the next, he was walking out in the open air.

He thought it was strange for a few seconds, before abruptly forgetting about it as he was swept away by the sheer beauty of the scenery.

He was standing on the grassy verge of a cliff. It was obviously extremely high up, as there were a few wispy strands of cloud around eye level, ringing the huge mountains that stretched across this secluded place. Sparse greenery dotted the mountainsides, weaving a delicate tapestry of colour on the expressive, wrinkled grey canvas of rock.

The bluff jutted out over a drop of thousands of kilometres, and a sharp chill wind ruffled Naruto's hair. There was very little on the ledge- nothing to detract from the rough natural beauty that it exuded.

Only a few mossy boulders broke the uneven spread of mountain grass. Other than that, the only other feature was the single proud tree that stood at the very edge of the precipice. It had very unusually coloured leaves- they were a sort of mix between green and orange, as if the tree was stuck between the fiery brilliance of autumn and the fresh, pure poise of spring.

Naruto stopped moving, and took the moment to soak in the view and the atmosphere that the place produced. He was afraid to move a muscle, as if doing so would disturb the peace and shatter the flawless scene.

"Hello Naruto. Come closer and sit with me," came a voice.

It was the same one that had called for him to go over- however, it was lacking the echoing feeling of power that had resonated inside his head.

Naruto turned, startled at the sudden noise. He hadn't sensed anyone when he first arrived, and being the Hokage, his spatial awareness was top-notch, even compared with professional ANBU assassins.

On a flat rock to his right, an old man sat. He had long, white, flowing hair, which drifted behind him in the wind. His beard and moustache was equally lengthy, and it was difficult to tell where his hair started and his facial hair began. He was wearing very plain, very faded robes with no adornments. Perched as he was on the rock- cross-legged- he seemed to be as part of the environment as the ground itself.

He didn't move an inch, and only the fact that he was the only logical source for the speech allowed Naruto to pinpoint where to go.

Tentatively, Naruto walked to where the man was sitting. He noticed that a monk's ringed staff- a shakujō- was lying in the long grass at his feet. It looked worn and well used, although slightly neglected. The grass was growing around it, and a layer of dew covered the old wood.

Stepping over it, Naruto gingerly lowered himself to sit on the ground at the man's feet.

Usually, he would have said something to get the man's attention (probably not something terribly polite, either), but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt such a tranquil peace. So he took the time to inspect the man a little more.

The man had his eyes closed, and was obviously meditating. His fingers were folded in a way that resembled Naruto's own favoured nature chakra gathering position. The wrinkled brow was furrowed in concentration, but Naruto couldn't help but notice the strange sigil on the man's forehead. It was a circle, with a crescent marked clearly on it, resembling a crude depiction of the moon more than anything else. But the tattoo-like image also had small lines radiating outwards from the circumference, like the rays of the sun.

Naruto would have examined the curious little symbol even more, but then the man opened his eyes, and Naruto was presented with a shock and reminder of things better left forgotten.

The distinctive ringed eyes brought back a lot of memories for Naruto. It represented a friend; a kindred spirit- something that displayed the bond that they shared. But it also represented corruption and evil; a reminder of how badly things can go wrong.

"The Rinnegan," he murmured softly.

The man looked at him with an unreadable expression, the lilac-tinged irises hiding a wealth of wisdom and experience.

"Aye," he said, equally softly, "This pair of eyes are those; the Eyes of Samsara."

After this, he fell silent for a few seconds before turning to face away from Naruto, instead looking at the rugged beauty of the landscape in front of him.

"Tell me, Naruto Uzumaki," he said abruptly, without turning around, "What do you regret, in your life?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. This was not the sort of question he had expected to hear from someone in his mind. He had expected answers, not to be asked seemingly inane questions that were unrelated to the issue at hand. But something inside of him, the deepest primal instincts that had been socially repressed through human civilization, warned him not to antagonize the man in front of him- to instead humour his request.

"… regret? Nothing really. I've achieved my dream, and everything's going well…" Naruto replied haltingly.

Upon hearing this, the man turned around, revealing a sad smile, a single brilliant tear sliding down his cheek.

"Now what if I told you that your world no longer exists? Your village, your people, your friends, your position of Hokage- none of it matters anymore. They're gone. Wiped away without a trace. Not even records in history are left. Nothing… do you still hold no regrets?"

Naruto felt his body go numb. He struggled to comprehend what the man was saying… but he simply couldn't accept the words. It must all be some kind of sick joke, right? Some way of testing his resolve. It's all just a hypothetical situation!

Nothing like the end of the world could happen without him knowing…

Without warning, a memory slipped through his mind. It wasn't concrete enough for Naruto to pinpoint what it was, and it was much too ephemeral for anything to be gleaned from it except the imprint of vivid, burning, irrepressible emotions.

Naruto hissed and clutched at his head. He could feel another memory struggling to come to the surface. On one hand, he was curious. However, this curiosity was far outweighed by the fear and anticipation of what the memory contained.

Meanwhile, the old man continued his monologue, once again turning away from Naruto. It was unclear whether he was explaining it for Naruto's benefit, or his own.

"I am the creature that created the world upon which you lived- a creature you called the Juubi. I'm sure you know my connection to your own former bijuu. However, I cared not for your petty world. I created it, but it held no more significance for me then a sand castle holds for a three-year old infant at the beach. It was merely an experiment for my ability. I do not, or _did not, _possess these emotions that you humans utilize with such potency."

He turned around again to gauge Naruto's expression. Upon seeing nothing but a frozen mask of disbelief, he shrugged and continued.

"I destroyed the place. I absorbed it into my very being, reclaiming the energy which had een used to create it. In hindsight, this was a mistake. I absorbed everything, assimilating it into myself."

He paused and then asked another seemingly unrelated question.

"Do you know how many emotions humans use in a single hour? It is countless. Everything you do, everything you see, everything your mind touches upon, brings an emotion out to play. And then there are various degrees to which these emotions are invoked. Now consider how many humans have ever existed.

I had never taken these things into account when I created your race. And then suddenly, all these _emotions_ pour into my soul! I have never felt anything like it! They changed me… they showed me what I had done."

The old man looked wistful for a second before clenching his fist and grabbing Naruto's collar and pulling him close.

"You see this place? This wonderful place? It was a place in Lightning Country; a local secret treasured by the population. I destroyed it. It's gone. All that remains is this fleeting memory inside you…

_Regret. _That's what I feel."

Pulling on Naruto's collar, the old man brought him to the edge of the cliff and forced him to look down.

But instead of the dizzying drop that Naruto expected to see, there was instead in front of his eyes, a strange sight that was difficult to accurately put into words. It was a lightless oblivion for as far as the eye could see, but _beyond _that, if one continued to stare at an area for long enough, one could see countless shining lights, each smaller than a particle of dust, but together, totaling more than the stars in the sky.

"Each of those lights represents _something _that I destroyed," said the Juubi through gritted teeth, "Each one is a loved one, or a treasured possession, or a well-used tool; each insignificant grain of rice, each pompous dignitary, each iota of chakra used in jutsu. I destroyed them all. Can you _imagine _the _regret _I feel for snuffing out those precious lights?"

Naruto closed his eyes. Staring for too long at such inconceivable sights would break his mind.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, tiredly.

The scope and scale that the Juubi was talking about was out of his league. All he could think about was the things he had lost personally. And just those were enough to make him a very sad person.

"You are a strange person, Naruto Uzumaki. You were the amplifier for those human emotions; you were the conduit that forced the change in me. You embody the extremes of human nature. A very strange individual, you are."

The Juubi stoked his beard with a mischievous light in his eyes. The previous somber tone of the conversation seemed to disappear completely.

"Do you know who this body belonged to? These eyes? They belonged to the man who you humans came to call the Sage of Six Paths. He was the only human who managed to arouse my interest. His passion, his determination, his power… they fascinated me, who knew nothing of how humans operate. None other among the human race come close to interesting me… save for you."

The Juubi revealed a predatory smile full of teeth as he said this, although his eyes remained somewhat friendly.

"I dislike having regrets. This feeling of dissatisfaction. This feeling of unfinished business. It… annoys me. So I have decided that this world which I created; this world which I took away… I need it to live on. Obviously, I am not the one who can be trusted to carry on the true legacy of the world, so I have chosen you. You must represent your world on one completely different. Congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki, final remnant of the shinobi."

Naruto stared in shock.

"W-w-what do you mean? 'Final remnant'? What kind of bullshit is this? Just let me rest alongside my friends!" he yelled in frustration.

The Juubi only looked at him with pity.

"But… you _are _with your friends. Can't you feel them? Inside that mass of lights, your friends exist, inside you. In fact, here, let me help you see."

With a wave of hands, a number of lights lifted themselves out of the abyss and coalesced in front of the pair, beginning to form into familiar shapes. Friends, family, rivals, mentors. They slowly began to come into being in front of Naruto's disbelieving eyes. He could see Konohamaru Sarutobi standing next to Gaara of the Sands and Minato Namikaze. He could see Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Even people like Inari and Tsunami from Wave Country were there.

And all these people crowding the small ledge were smiling and waving, showing their support for Naruto. Their mouths were moving, yet no sound was coming out. It was obvious what they were trying to say, but the lack of sound was still a harsh reminder about the reality of their deaths.

Naruto gave a bittersweet smile, tears pricking at his eyes as he raised a hand to touch his mother's cheek. She smiled in return, and brought her hand up to cup his own. However, neither of them could truly touch the other, a harsh reminder of their present situation.

But, giving a wink, Kushina majestically dispersed back into golden particles of light. As if this were some sort of signal, the rest of the crowd also started to disappear, giving final words (not that they could be heard) and waves to see off their friend.

And when the last of them had finally gone, Naruto wiped the free-flowing tears from his cheek and turned to the Juubi once more.

"If… if you are so powerful… if you can bring me back to life… and place the entire world inside me… why can't you just make everything back to the way it once was? Why go through me?" he asked in a voice choked with emotion.

The Juubi shrugged.

"Although I am close to it, I am not all-powerful. And the main problem is, I cannot trespass in the territory of the other gods. I may have created you all out of my own energy, but you still have to follow the divine laws. Once you die, you are officially in the power of the Shinigami. I cannot bring an entire world out of the Death God's reach. However, because _you, _Naruto, were not quite dead when it happened, I managed to restore you to life before you fully became the Shinigami's property. And then, by sealing myself, and by proxy, the rest of the world into you, I postponed the Shinigami's claim on your fellow humans and my world."

The Juubi looked inordinately pleased as he explained his actions.

However, Naruto could care less about the method.

"Will I be able to talk to my precious people again? If they're just inside of me like the Kyuubi was…" he said, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging.

But the Juubi was already shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but the fact is, unlike the Kyuubi, your friends are dead. But… that doesn't mean you won't be able to further your relationships with them."

Naruto looked at the Juubi with confusion, but the Ten-Tails refused to elaborate, instead saying something like 'You'll find out in due time'.

Naruto sighed.

_I can't believe this is happening to me, _he thought.

He turned to leave, but then a thought occurred to him, something he noticed in the makeshift mirror out in the real world.

"Hey, Juubi," he said.

"Yes?" came the laconic reply.

"Why do I look so young?"

The Juubi grimaced.

"Well…" he said defensively, "I haven't done anything like reincarnation before, so I chose a period of time where you were beginning your ascent into your peak. Your body is about… fifteen? Yeah, something like that."

Naruto made a face, remembering some of the more… _exciting _events that had happened when he was fifteen, before nodding at the Juubi once more, obviously signaling his intent to leave.

"…oh, yeah… I guess I should tell you that although you are, technically, the same physically as when you were fifteen, you've lost all traces of having the Kyuubi or receiving shinobi training. Sorry, but I couldn't find a way to bring them back, haha."

Naruto just threw the sheepish Juubi a look and then left his mind in a swirl of fire, a throwback to his Hokage days.

"Man… I have a feeling this whole thing is going to be bloody annoying."

* * *

Naruto gave a tired sigh as he took stock of his resources. Apart from his overly-long Hokage robes, he had the standard amount of shinobi weapons and tools that he made sure to keep on his person at all times. One does not last long in the shinobi world by being unprepared.

But apart from the meagre amount of food pills that he had sealed away, Naruto didn't have any food. He also didn't have any money… if this new world even _used _ryou.

Speaking of which…

_Hey, Juubi, _Naruto called in his mind.

_**What, brat? **_came the immediate answer.

Naruto blinked at the sudden change in address.

_What happened to 'Naruto'?_

_**Oh, sorry. I'm being influenced by the Kyuubi. He always referred to you as 'brat', even in his own head. **_

_Right, cool… anyway… what type of world am I in, anyway?_

_**Oh… I, uh… don't quite know-**_

_Whaaaaaaat?!_

_**Don't worry, don't worry. I made sure to pick one that was somewhat similar to mine, but I don't really know the type of rules the other gods like to bind their worlds with. If you're worried about fitting in, then your appearance shouldn't be any problem. Rather, you should try and match your behaviour to the locals as soon as possible. **_

_Feh… got it. Thanks. _

_**Anytime. Remember, I want you to succeed as well… it's **_**my **_**legacy, after all. **_

_Mmm…_

Naruto stood up and stretched.

_First things first, _he thought, _I need to secure lodgings and see if I can get a source of food and income. _

He made to walk out the door, before he tripped over the overly-long robes.

Normally, even if he tripped (which he wouldn't have, usually, because he was a flippin' ninja), his reflexes and balance would have been developed enough to bring him back onto his feet without even needing a support to hold onto. But without the results of his training, he was just another fifteen year old, albeit an extremely fit one.

So he landed flat on his nose.

* * *

After nursing his bruised nose (luckily, the Juubi had chimed in with the fact that it could fill the Kyuubi's former role as a glorified portable medic-nin), Naruto had to address the issue of his clothing.

Although it was true that he was wearing his Hokage robes, it was just an outer garment. Most kage, when wearing the ceremonial dress, also donned their usual battle attire underneath. Again, it must be reiterated that one does not become a kage by being trusting and unprepared.

However, even underneath, his special jounin-modified jumpsuit (in dashing colours of black and orange) was much too large for him and it was a wonder that it hadn't fallen off of him yet.

He shrugged off the constricting Hokage robes and stared at the mirror again, trying to see how he could modify his clothing to not make them hinder his movement. The shirt might fit if he hacked off the remaining material, but the pants were more difficult to sort out. While he did indeed have a belt, it didn't have the appropriate holes to tighten to his new waistline.

He sighed.

_So troublesome, _he thought, remembering one of his Jounin Commander's favourite phrases.

Just thinking about Shikamaru almost made him tear up, but he forced himself to keep calm, telling himself that his friend would _want _him to stay strong and keep moving forward.

Mainly because the lazy bum didn't want to do it himself, the asshole.

… _**excuse me, but are you looking for clothing? **_came the voice of the Juubi.

_Yeah, why? _Naruto replied.

_**I can help, I think. **_

_Really?_

_**Aye. **_

Suddenly, Naruto felt a heat spread through his belly button. It wasn't particularly unpleasant or painful, but it was still unexpected. He hissed and made a face.

But as fast as it had appeared, the heat vanished just as swiftly.

_**Done. **_

Naruto rushed towards the 'mirror' again and looked in it.

_Nice! _he complemented.

He was now wearing a modified ANBU captain's uniform, complete with fox mask. Naruto was intensely familiar with this particular set of clothes, having completed a couple terms of ANBU service under Tsunade. The fox mask had been some sort of ironic joke that she had played, but Naruto didn't mind. He wasn't really ashamed of his jinchuuriki status. He didn't really like to broadcast it, but if someone found out, he didn't try to hide it, either.

The clothing itself was smaller than when he had been in the force, but that was to be expected, given his now smaller frame. Other than the size, the equipment and clothing were identical to his previous set, even down to the minute scratches and signs of wear that he had put there himself.

_Wow, this is really good, Juubi. How'd ya do it? _he asked excitedly.

Being reunited with what seemed like an old friend in such an unfamiliar world with no other constants was a real comfort to him.

_**Mmm… well, inside of me, I have the imprints of several million ANBU uniforms. Actually, I didn't even need all of them. I had yours. It was a simple task to create a construct outside of your body. I just needed to use the Sage's 'Banbutsu Souzou' **_(Creation of All Things)_** with the image of your uniform and it's that easy. **_

_Seriously? How much can you do, anyway? You say you're 'sealed', but you still do all this stuff…_

_**Remember how Shukaku-kun could control his sand from inside Gaara-san's body? It's the same with me. I'm just exerting my power as a bijuu, using your own chakra coils as a conduit. Also, I have access to every single jutsu ever created, as well as every artefact. There's very little I can't do. **_

…_Why do you need me again?_

_**Ha ha. Well, I don't really understand what to do with all this power anyway. My own authority and power as the Juubi would be enough to do everything I wished to. Instead, by using you as my avatar to give the shinobi world one last expression of self, it's much more fun. **_

_About that… what am I supposed to do, exactly? 'One last expression of self'? The fuck?_

_**Hmm… I'm not quite sure about that myself. It seemed like a good idea when I brought you back… but now… anyways, just do whatever you want. I'll slowly allow the 'legacy' to spread through you. **_

_You want me to spread the shinobi arts?_

_**Hell no! This is not my world! Why would I grace some rotten god's world with my own splendid creations? No… Naruto, just make a lasting impression. Use the skills and techniques of our land to make a big splash. That is all. **_

… _How… vague…_

But despite his foreboding thoughts over how unprepared their plan was, Naruto was still excited.

_At least…it seems… fun…_

* * *

My eternal thanks to MisterKuma, who beta-read this chapter.


End file.
